MACHESNEY PARK — Three small wooden box houses filled with books will be placed outside Harlem High School this summer to promote reading.

The structures are part of the international Little Free Library program, an initiative that calls for communities to create a place where individuals can borrow and donate books using the honor system. The activity allows people to meet one another and discuss a common hobby.

“These Little Free Libraries will give our students access to free reading materials outside of the classroom and traditional library, and also help our community gain access to books throughout the summer,” Jeremy Bois, Harlem High School associate principal, said in a press release.

Little Free Library boxes are located in all 50 states and in more than 60 countries, said Todd Bol, co-founder and executive director of Little Free Library. The nonprofit surpassed its goal in August 2012 to create more than 2,500 mini libraries — the volume of libraries philanthropist Andrew Carnegie created during his lifetime.

Bol said a variety of groups, like the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the United States of America have jumped on the bandwagon. Universities, school districts and neighborhood groups have set up their own boxes, too.

Bol said the idea has taken off because it’s more than just sharing books with your neighbors. It’s about engaging with others and feeling like you belong to a community that enjoys reading.

“We talk about books. We talk about education, school and what our kids are reading,” he said. “We have a conversation around literacy. We feel better about ourselves and better about the neighborhood.”

The project was funded by Grace Lutheran Church.

The three Little Free Libraries at Harlem High School will be the first ones in Machesney Park, school officials said.